ing each other's Laaguage, which was a work of time, and was never likely to be fo general, • as to be the means of a common intercourse, This effectually divided them at firft, and would always keep Nations divided, till Foreign Arms fhould give new Laws, and a new Language to a Conquered People.

3dly. I obferve farther, That the more divifions of Languages were made, and the greater the difperfion was, the greater Security was it against a general Corruption; which is a reason not only for feparating the Family of Ham from the Families of Sem and Japhet, but for feparating them from each other, and dividing them into smaller Bodies: For the more Divisions there are, whatever part were infected, the less could the Corruption fpread, when there was no communication between them.

4thly. This alfo divided Mankind into feveral little Independent Monarchies, under the Government of the Heads of their feveral Families; which kept all Mankind under a ftricter Government, than if the whole World had been one great Empire, which would have proved a Tyrannical Domination, but could have taken little care of the Manners of Subjects; efpecially if the Government it felf was corrupt, the whole. World must be corrupt with it. But when fo many diftinct Societies were formed, this gave them diftinct Interefts, and made their Laws and Customs, the very Humour and Genius of the People, fo different from each other, as would keep them diftin&t: And this would neceffarily occafion mutual Emulations and Jealoufies to rival their Neighbours in Riches and Power; and this cannot be done without wife Laws, and a ftrict Discipline, and the Encouragement

ragement of Labour and Induftry, of liberal Arts, and all focial Virtues, and the fuppreffion of fuch Vices, as weaken Government, and emafculate Mens Spirits: This effect we know in a great measure it had, as we learn from the moft early Accounts of the Grecian Commonwealths, where we meet with fo many excellent Laws, and fuch great Examples of Frugality, Temperance, Fortitude, and a generous Love of their Country, which may in a great measure be attributed to their mutual Emulations, which taught them Prudence and Juftice at Home and Abroad, and forced on them the Exercise of many Civil and Military Virtues.

It had indeed been more for the Peace and Quiet of the World, that all Mankind had been but one People, and one Kingdom, without divided Interefts and Governments: but fuch a profound State of Eafe is apt to loosen the Reins of Government, and to corrupt Mens Minds with Sloth and Luxury; and therefore is no more fit for a corrupt and degenerate State, than it would have been, that the Earth fhould have brought forth Fruit of it felf without Human Labour and Induftry. But Jealoufies and Emulations, the neceffity of defending themselves against Potent Neighbours, or the ambition to equal, or to outdo them, reftrains publick Vices, and is a fpur to Virtue. 'Aga' bus ĥN Begloïor

It is true, this is the occafion of many Miferies to Mankind, of all the Calamities and Defolations of War; and therefore we muft confider,

sthly. That this is fo far from being an Objection against Providence, while God keeps the Sword in his own Hand, that it is an admirable

Inftru

Inftrument of Government, and a fignal Demonftration of the Divine Wisdom.

God had promifed, that be would not again any more Smite every living thing, as be bad done, 8 Genef. 21. And yet Mankind could not be governed without fome Reftraints and Punishments; and it did not become God to punish Men and Nations, as often as they deserved it, by an immediate Hand; and what then could be more wifely defigned, than fo to order it, that if Men and Nations were wicked,they fhould fcourge and punish one another?

By this means God can chastise two wicked Nations by each other's Swords, without deftroying either: He can fo leffen their Numbers, and exhauft their Treafures, and impoverish their Countries, as to force them to Peace, and to reduce them to a laborious and frugal Life, which will cure the Wantonness and Luxury of Plenty and Ease. ·

If a Nation be grown incurably wicked, he can by this means deftroy them, without embroiling the reft of the World; he can carry them Captive into Foreign Countries, or make them Slaves at home, and subject them to the Yoke of a Conqueror, who fhall correct them, and teach them better.

In a word, The dispersion of Mankind by the confufion of Languages, which divided them into diftinct Societies, Kingdoms, and Commonweals, opened a new Scene of Providence, with all the Variety of Wisdom in the Government of the World. The Judgment it self was miraculous, and as plain an evidence of the Divine Power, as the Deluge it felf; for to new form a Mind, to erace all its old Ideas of Words and Sounds, and to imprint new ones on it in an

inftant,

inftant, fhew fuch a fuperior Power over Nature, as none but the Author of Nature has; and they must have been very ftupid, if this did not renew and fix the impreffion of a Divine Power and Providence. But the difperfion which this confufion of Languages occafioned, and the division of Mankind into diftinct Societies, made the Exercise of many Moral, Civil, and Military Virtues as neceffary as their own Prosperity and Preservation: And if this had not fo univerfal an Effect as might have been expected, yet it prevented an Univerfal Corruption, and had a good Effect in many Countries, and by turns in moft; that the World never wanted Examples of States and Kingdoms which increased and flourished under a Prudent and Vertuous Government, nor of the Ruin of flourishing States by Idlenefs, Luxury, Injuftice, Oppreffion, which weakened and divided them at home, and made them an eafy Prey to their provoked, or to their ambitious Neighbours.

But though the State of the World, as to fome moral Vertues, and good Order and Government, was much bettered by this means, yet Mankind generally declined to Idolatry; that the Knowledge and Worship of the one Supreme God was in danger of being utterly loft, and the lives of Men to be corrupted by the impure and filthy Rites and Myfteries of their Religion. This required a new and more effectual Remedy, and brings me to confider a new and wonderful Design of the Divine Wisdom for reforming the World: I mean his chufing Abraham and his Pofterity to be his peculiar People, whom he would govern in fo visible a manner, that all the World might know and fear the God of Ifrael.

This

This is a large Argument, and full of Myfterious Wisdom; but my principal Intention at present is to confider it with relation to the reft of Mankind, and how wifely it was defigned by God to give fome check to Idolatry, to preferve the Worship of the True God, at leaft in Israel, from whence in time it might be restored again, when loft in the reft of the World.

It has, I confefs, a very ftrange appearance at first, that God fhould reject, or at least neglect all the reft of Mankind, and chufe but one Family out of all the World to place his Name among them: Is God the God of the Jews only, is be not alfo of the Gentiles? 3. Rom. 29. This the Vain-glorious few imagined, who defpifed the reft of the World, as reprobated by God; but the Apostle abhors the thoughts of it. Yes, of the Gentiles alfo; and St. Peter was at length convinced by a Vifion, That God was no refpecter of Perfons; but in every Nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteoufnefs, is accepted with him, 10. Acts 34, 35. Thus it was from the beginning, though the Jews did not think fo; and the Apoftles themselves at first could not easily be perfuaded of it; and yet how could any Man entertain honourable Thoughts of God, who could conceive him so partial in his Favours, as to confine the peculiar Expreffions of his Love to one Nation, without any appearing concernment what became of the reft of Mankind? But if this was, and was intended by God, for the general good of the World, and was admirably fitted to cure Idolatry, and to restore the Worship of the one Supreme God, it gives us a new and more glorious profpect of the Wisdom of Providence. And to reprefent this as advantagiously as I can, I fhall first give you a general